Recently I heard a quote that got right to the heart of conflict and how to resolve it.  I’m paraphrasing, but it was along the lines of “conflict does not rise out of a clash of good and bad, it arises out of a clash of good and good.”  In other words, each conflicting party […]

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One of my favorite comic strips is set in a bookstore.  In one corner of the store, there is a section with a sign that reads, “Self Help. ” Right next to it, there’s a sign for the “Fixing Others” section.  The “Self-Help” section has one person in it while the “Fixing Others” section is […]

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When things go wrong, and occasionally they do, rather than focusing on identifying who made the mistake, focus on the situation and the solution. Put your energy and attention into what happened, how best to fix it, what process improvements need to be implemented, what training and checks and balances are needed to insure that […]

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The 18- to 35-year-old workers in your organization are the millennials.  They are a breed unto themselves, just as preceding generations have been. Here are a few interesting facts about millennials – offered not to stereotype, but with the intention of acknowledging prevalent patterns among the group: They’re the most culturally diverse and well-educated generation […]

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Begin your next meeting with an activity that jumpstarts the conversation. Here’s how: After discussing the meeting’s purpose, objectives and agenda, present one or more of the following statements and ask attendees to respond: 1.  “To support the success of our meeting, I will…” 2.  “It would facilitate our work if the team…”  3.  “To make […]

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When we like people, it’s easy to work with or for them.  If we like them a lot, we look forward to interaction.  But what happens if we don’t like a colleague?  For some reason, we just don’t get along with them or can’t find their redeeming qualities. Here are a few strategies to consider: […]

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